"Two big and huge possibilities" - Club president confirms PSG and AC Milan will battle it out for 24-year-old
LOSC Lille Metropole president Olivier Letang has reportedly confirmed that Renato Sanches will join either AC Milan or Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer.
The 24-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move away from the French club as he enters the last year of his contract. The Lille president confirmed that AC Milan and PSG are the clubs most interested in securing his services.
Speaking to Le 11 HDF (as relayed by Fabrizio Romano), Letang said:
"Renato Sanches will leave this summer. It will be Paris or Milan, two big and huge possibilities for Renato. We have still no full agreement with any club—it will be confidential."
Some would find it hard to believe Sanches is still 24 years old. He was signed by Bayern Munich from SL Benfica at the age of 18 in a move that grabbed a lot of eyeballs in 2016.
#transfers
Lille president Oliver Letáng: “Renato Sanches will leave this summer. It will be Paris or Milan, two big and huge possibilities for Renato”, tells via @le11hdf. 🚨🇵🇹 #transfers
“We have still no full agreement with any club - it will be confidential”. https://t.co/ZE8HbdmyRC
He was loaned out to then-Premier League side Swansea City a year later and permanently left the Allianz Arena to join Lille in 2019. He managed just 53 appearances for the Bavarians during his time in Germany, scoring twice and assisting three goals.
Sanches has suffered from injuries in all three seasons he has spent at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Despite that, the dynamic midfielder has made a combined 91 appearances for the French outfit.
He played an essential role in Christophe Galtier's side winning the Ligue 1 title during the 2020/21 season. The French manager succeeded Mauricio Pochettino as PSG's new head coach this summer.
Renato Sanches is a risk worth taking for AC Milan and PSG
Galtier wanting Sanches at the Parc des Princes proves that the Portuguese star left a lasting impression on him.
⚽️🎭 https://t.co/lyhYsv8bkV
PSG have signed midfielder Vitinha during the current transfer window, but they would be wise to go out and sign a player like Sanches. Marco Verratti is arguably the only 'untouchable' central midfielder in their starting XI.
Sanches is a powerful box-to-box midfielder who likes to push forward and help his team in attack. He is no passenger in defense either and would be a perfect replacement at AC Millan for Franck Kessie, who is now at Barcelona.
It remains to be seen if AC Milan can beat PSG for his signature this summer. Letang's aforementioned words strongly hint that Lille may want to cash in on Sanches this summer instead of losing him on a free transfer next year.